Economic Beat: Fiscal Cliff and IRS Slow the Economy The Fiscal Cliff's tax shock is going to delay the filing of some 100 million returns. That will result in $100 billion in refund checks getting held up -- a direct hit to any growth in consumer spending. Not good news for the economy, Barron's reports.

This week, Barron'sinterviews Jim Chanos, founder of Kynikos Associates. A prominent short-seller, he sees big trouble brewing among leveraged natural-gas producers, and still views China as a bubble. He names some of his current pans.

Asian Trader: A Banner Year Amid Worries Asian stocks had a stellar year, but worries still abound. Barron's says that's due to Europe and the U.S. stalling, which hinders exports. Meanwhile, the Asian Trader's bullish 2012 picks are up an average 13.9%, three times better than the 4.2% benchmark average.